25 Days of Christmas
by wordsempowerus
Summary: Ally's parents leave her alone for Christmas. Well, not completely. They drop her off at their good friend, Mimi Moon's house. Little do they know, the son has been bullying Ally for the past 3 years of her life. Now she has to live with them for the 25 days leading up to Christmas. The spirit of Chrismas can do a lot of things, but can it help Ally through this torturous prison?
1. Chapter 1: December 1

_**I do not own Austin and Ally.**_

 **New chapter everyday for the next 25 days.**

* * *

A cool draft of air whistles by, making the leaves shake and dance in excitement. This was unlike a certain adolescent brunet, who shivered in response, not expectant of the sudden surprise

The hot sun was beating down, warming the city and all of its inhabitants, but the heat was not welcome to the girl, who craved a larger extent of time in the teeth chattering cold. It was already December, but there was no sign in the temperature dropping any further.

Like any child, though she herself was no longer one, she wished to walk outside and be able to hear the loud crunching of ice under her feet as she desperately tried not to slip on her freshly covered driveway. But a dream like this was just her imagination at play, because here in the sunny city of Miami, a white Christmas would likely be evidence to the end of times.

Even though a tradition like this was impossible for this one hopeful teen, she still continued to do everything else that came along with the winter season that had nothing to do with the unreliable weather.

The winter spirit was like a fire that kept growing in her soul, and it seemed to be at the point where nothing could put it out.

The jolly sound of classic Carole's rang through the tiny house, as they had been nonstop for the past week, and will continue for the next fairly long period of time. It would have grown a nuisance to most people by now, but she enjoyed the uplifting melodies.

She stood on the tip of her toes as she reached out her arms to put a few more touches in her already very festive Christmas tree.

"25 days to go," she mumbled to herself as she slowly and carefully lowered down off the chair; she was rather short for her age.

She managed to take a few steps back, happily sighing as she was intent with her work, before another breeze drafted through the window. Though it was welcome with open arms, she still decided it was best to push down on the glass, sealing the nearby opening. She was wearing a thin short sleeve shirt and high waisted jean shorts, which did little to shield her from the short chilly waves of air.

A loud buzzing interrupted her precise decorating, clashing with the joyous holiday music. "Hello?" The teen asked after pressing the bright green button to accept. She also made a mental note to change her ringtone to something a little more seasonal.

"Ally sweetie," it was her mother, which shocked Ally, because she rarely called on a weekday. "Your father and I will not be able to make it home."

Ally's parents were in Africa. Penny, her mom, off getting inspiration for her new book, practically lived there now. Her dad went off to a business trip there. He usually never went that far before, but he hoped that spending more time with Penny could create a spark and they could get back together.

The thought was like trying to hit a tiny target from miles away, in pitch black; impossible. But Ally probably wished they would get back together more than anyone else; she was tired of her family being broken and just wanted everyone to be happy and get along.

"So I'm going to be left alone for Christmas?" Ally asked though she already knew the answer. This was not the first time she has been left alone for the holidays. This was possibly the first step to her parents getting back together and if that meant she had to be lonely on her all time favorite day of the year, then so be it.

"No, no! Of course not honey, I know how much you enjoy Christmas and I'm not going to make you be left alone and ruin your day!" Penny spoke cheerfully, even though you could still hear the guilt in her voice.

"No, I really don't mind. You guys stay there and have a great time," she interrupted, not wanting to ruin this perfect chance at a new beginning.

"I should have made myself clear," Penny hesitated, carefully picking out her words in an attempt not to tear down Ally's child-like spirit, "See, we will not be back until the day after Christmas, and your father and I have decided we do not want you to stay home alone for almost a month."

She was usually left alone for days on end, but her mother was right, she was never in an empty home for a straight month. She almost was, but her father always returned for a day before leaving again.

"We have decided you will stay with my high school friend and her family, the Moons." After hearing that she drowned out the rest of her mother' swords and focused all of her attention on trying to remember how she recognized the name.

In a failed attempt, Ally sighed and interrupted her mother's rambling about old high school memories. To Penny, it sounded rude, but in all honesty, Ally did not intend for it to. She was perfectly fine with visiting this family hey mother had spoken so highly if.

"Okay, I'll go," was all Ally said, because before she could get out another word, a loud shriek burst through the phone, sounding as if it could bust the speakers. Her mom could act more of a teenager than herself at times.

"Great, now pack your bags because they are picking you up in an hour. Oh, and bring a couple of jackets and thicker clothing. You will be staying in their cabin."

* * *

Colorful lights flicker off and sweet melodies fade away. Cliche singing snowmen have their switches flipped off, and cookies are stored for another day.

Hours of work to make the house glow, but only a few mere seconds to make it sleep again. The tree was left standing tall, but without the string lights shining it up, it did not spread near as much joy.

Clothing was rapidly folded and stuffed into a suit case, along with everyone else a girl needs to survive on for almost a month. She also decided it was best to slip on a pair of jeans.

Ally pressed her back against her door anxiously. Her mom had spoken so highly of Mimi throughout her life, so why was she so nervous about meeting her?

She was the reason Penny would say high school involved some if the best years of her life, which in turn, is reason why Ally was so excited for her first day of freshmen year. But that day, and all of the following school days that year was terrible.

Though she had lived in Miami for her entire life, that was the first year she went to public school. Her mother was so excited for Ally to go to the same high school she did, so Ally never spoke a word of what happened there. She was a senior now, so it's not like she has to suffer for much longer.

But the events she goes through in her own high school experience is probably why Ally had a great amount of doubt inside her. She wondered how such a perfect friend could exist without there being a catch.

But her thoughts could wonder no longer as a loud and very obnoxious honk rang through her ears. 'This is it,' Ally thought, gripping the handle of her large suitcase so tight that her knuckles began to turn white, "it's now or never."

With her free hand, she reached out to meet the cold metal. Pushing the door open , she made sure to put on her best smile, but it stick for very long.

She stared at the man sitting in the red convertible for a brief moment, his blonde hair messy as usual and arrogant hazel eyes focused on his phone.

"Austin," she mumbled harshly to herself, contemplating whether or not she should allow her feet to carry herself any further. Now she recognized the name, but she still secretly wished it was a different Moon. But she was able to come to a conclusion, against her better judgement, and approached the stationary vehicle.

"Dorkson," Austin sneered bitterly at the brunet, making a disgusted face, "what are you doing here!"

"I could ask you the same thing Moon!" Ally snapped, which actually was anything but normal for her, "this is, after all, my house."

Austin threw his head back, mumbling cuss words under his breath.

"You're Mimi's son?" Ally asked, interrupting Austin's rather immature moment of making the fact that her presence was annoying known.

He glared at her in a manner that basically read, 'duh!' and turned away to stare straight ahead avoiding eye contact once more, "just get in!"

Frustrated, she yanked on the car handle and practically threw her luggage in the back seat. She jumped in, slamming the door behind her.

The roaring of the engine returned, but before they pulled out of her driveway, Austin spoke up, "Just so you know, there will be no speaking during this car ride; I don't want to hear your pathetic voice. And no touching the radio; it's my baby, I pick the music."

He then quickly tapped a button to turn the radio on and dialed up the volume, before Ally could snap with a witty comment in response. She slouched down and stared ahead of her at her house that was slowly retreating from view, refusing to admit that her eyes were starting to sting.

 _Boy was this going to be a long month._


	2. Chapter 2: December 2

The sun's light was fairly bright at a time like this, but now there were no leaves to shield one from the rays. They glared down on everything below them, breaking past the sorry excuse for a barrier that was blocking the windows.

The harsh predator made it's way over to Ally's sleeping body. She groaned, annoyed with the large amount of light shining through her blinds. She refused to open her tired eyes and decided it was best to roll over and hide from the vicious nuisance by burying her face in cushioning of her pillow.

But the consequences of thinking she was so familiar with her surroundings that she hadn't needed to watch her actions just happened to be stinging all over, as her body came in unwelcome contact with the hard flooring. The smacking sound that came as a result was probably enough to wake up the entire household.

But it was neither that nor the pain that made Ally jolt up with the horror she was feeling very evident upon her face. It was the fact that her bedroom did not have hard wood, but soft warm carpet.

Every terrible situation possible displayed itself in her mind all at once as she shuddered, desperately searching for an explanation that would tell her what came over her to influence her to go home with another.

That feeling did not last for long, however, because soon a large dark brown suitcase was in her view, and she could finally catch her breath. The events of yesterday flashed through her mind.

The car ride up here must have lasted longer than she had expected, because she never remembers leaving the car. It was clear to her that she had dozed off, but how did she get in here?

The question was not one she could answer, so she decided she'd return to it at a later time. She dug through her purse, looking for a certain rectangular device that she would probably rely on several times throughout this occasion.

After getting her black headphones out of her suitcase, she quickly slid them over her head, and blasted the volume. It was becoming a bad habit; drowning out her emotions with catchy verses, but it's better than the very dramatic life.

She quickly scrolled through her countless playlists, she has one for any of her emotions, several different genres, etc. She excitedly tapped on the one that she probably listens to the most, Christmas.

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light. From now on, your troubles will be out of site."

Ally sang along quietly; her voice sounding as soft as angels, blessing all those who hear. At this time, a certain blonde was pressed up against the wooden door.

He was walking by when he heard the noise, so captivating and gentle. He would never admit it to a soul, though, that he enjoyed her voice. Maybe not even to himself.

He shook his head and quietly opened the door. This action had gone unnoticed by the brunet. She stared down at her phone, typing out an email she would soon send to her mother that served to update and inform that she had arrived at the beloved best friend's house. She failed to mention, however, the fact that the guy that made freshmen year a living hell for her was there.

She was almost in a trance, by the blissful music being fed to her ears. Austin would not accept that fact, however, and pulled the headphones off her head.

Ally glared at him for a moment, before releasing a sigh. Her hair was now out of place and messy, but she didn't worry about that at the moment.

"Okay nerd, time to get up. You can't avoid me forever." He snickered to himself, feeling proud and superior because she seemed to be hiding from his taunting.

She rolled her eyes, not bothering to make a useless comment contradicting the fact. He would never believe her; after all, he is above her and knows better.

"Seriously!" He crossed his arms and stared down at the resistant girl, "You need to come. My parents want to meet you. I don't know why anyone would want to meet someone as worthless as you, but I guess they like charity."

Ally's eyes widened. Not at the last sentence, she was used to taking that crap from him, but at how she was about to meet her mom's best memory.

Feet stomping down the stairs echoed through the halls, Austin's making their way in front. He refused to allow Ally to get down first. She was not good enough to walk ahead of him. But before entering the spacious living room, he slowed and waited on Ally.

It was a strange sight, which did not make any sense to Ally. She walked beside him into the room, and that's when she understood. He was putting on his best act in front of them; pretending to be the perfect little boy he could never be.

Two people rose up from their seats as the teens walked into the room. Mike and Mimi. "Ally," the blonde middle aged woman gushed, pulling the younger girl into a big hug, "it's so nice to meet you."

Ally smiled softly, "it's nice to meet you too Mrs. Moon."

"Oh sweetie, call me Mimi!" Ally nodded, not really sure what to reply.

"You look so much like your mother! It's like I'm back in high school talking to Penny again."

Ally smiled lightly, as that was only just the beginning of their friendly small talk. After about an hour of sharing the main points of the past 17 years with each other, Ally decided to show her thanks, "I was thinking, since you all have been so generous as to take me in for a month on short notice, maybe I could cook dinner for everyone tonight." She smiled. These two people were very kind to her; they deserved something in return. Also, it is a good excuse to escape from a certain someone. It's a win win really.

"That would be very kind of you Ally, dear," she smiled thankfully, then averted her eyes to the other of the two teens, "And Austin can help!"

"Oh, really, it's fine Mimi. I don't need any help. I cook for my dad all the time," Ally quickly explained, trying her hardest not to show how much she actually opposed the thought.

"Oh so she's a maid too," Austin rolled his eyes; his whisper only reaching the ears of the person it was directed at.

"Don't worry, it's not a bother. Austin would love to help!" Mimi reassured the brunet, though she hadn't understood she was wrong. It was the complete opposite for Austin. He didn't even want to breath the same air as the girl.

"Okay," Ally sighed, accepting defeat in the battle for a peaceful time.

The four continued chatting for thirty or so minutes, with a lesser contribution from a rather unenthusiastic blonde boy.

The scene through the window began to fade, almost to black, with the exception of the light reflecting from the moon. They hadn't noticed how the time had flown, until finally it had reached the point of the night that the teens had to complete the necessary errand.

The decently large kitchen was occupied by two completely different people. One shy good girl who follows all the rules, and one arrogant outspoken bad boy who breaks those same rules.

Warm bubbles arose from the large pot, threatening to escape and spread it's way across the perfectly clean stove top.

"Can you turn that down?" Ally spoke between the consistent sound of a knife hitting the chopping block. She was currently cutting up some vegetables.

After a minute of silence, she glanced over her shoulder to see that they had risen up to the very top of the pan and was seconds away from spilling. She quickly dropped her knife unto the island, and shot her arm over to turn the stove top off.

She sighed, turning her attention over to the blonde, who was endlessly typing away at his phone. "You could actually help!" She snapped, slightly regretting it afterwards, but there was no stepping down now. That would only make it worse.

"You said you could do this by yourself." He said, without glancing up. He must be texting Cassidy, Ally thought.

Cassidy was Austin's girlfriend. She was perfect in every way imaginable. She had a stunning tan, and amazing bleach blonde hair. She had wonderful style, and confidence. That was what Ally was the most jealous about, Cassidy's confidence, because she can't go a day without questioning herself.

Ally scoffed, deciding to take the opportunity to exit this conversation by completely the rest of the cooking by herself. Austin did, however, help carry out the plates, just to make it look like he had been assisting the entire time.

"This looks delicious, Austin and Ally!" Mimi completed, as a fresh plate of fettuccine alfredo was placed in front of her on the table.

"Thank you," Austin spoke, sitting down across from his father with his own plate. Ally rolled her eyes and sat at the only empty seat, beside Austin.

"So, Ally, where do you go to school?" Mimi asked, twirling her fork in the white sauce covered noodles.

"Marino High," Ally said, without glancing up from her plate. She stabbed one of the vegetables and brought it to her mouth.

"Oh! Austin goes there too! Do you have any of the same classes?" Mimi questioned, taking a bite of the food.

Austin interrupted, "nope!" slurping up a noodle. His mother glared at his lack of manners, before returning her attention to the girl sitting in front of her, "why's that?"

"Oh, it's a big school, I guess," Ally made an excuse. She tried not to sound annoyed at the fact that Austin had not noticed they had music together.

But at the same time, she wasn't surprised, during that period, she was usually hiding off in the back of the class. When everyone else preformed in front of their classmates, Ally waited till school was over to do her own performance. Her teacher was very understanding with Ally, because she had a major case of stage fright.

After a few more comments back and forth, the chatter dropped. The only sound was forks scraping their glass plates.

"Well, I should be getting to bed," Ally tiredly said, as she began to gather the now empty plates.

"Okay, sweetie. And don't worry about the plates, Austin will wash them off for you." Mimi said, standing up and giving the young girl a hug.

Ally sat the plates back down and made her way up to the room that would be hers for the next month. She slipped her headphones back on, and snuggled under the warm protection of the covers.

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Make the Yuletide gay. From now on, your troubles will be miles away."

* * *

 _ **I do not own Austin and Ally or Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.**_

 **I'm sorry it took me so long to post the rest of this chapter! My wifi went down for two days..**


	3. Chapter 3: December 3

The wind blew a stray hair out of the girls face, resulting in a wide smile spreading across her face. It was indeed colder here than in Miami, and that made Ally happy.

She was currently sitting on a bench outside of the cabin. She woke up early, and after deciding she was not going to be able to go back to sleep, she went out here to watch the sunrise. The sun started to show over the trees, signaling that it was probably time for Ally to return inside.

She enjoyed nature and the peaceful loneliness, but she does not want to worry Mike and Mimi. Her disappearance would probably be good news to Austin. She would just stay outside for a couple more minutes; she didn't want this moment to end.

But it ended before she thought, as Mimi popped her head out the door, "There you are! I have been looking for you everywhere," she spoke with that sense of joy in her voice that never loses, "But never mind that. Come inside, I need to speak to you and Austin."

Ally was pulled inside by the older woman, and greeted with the face of a very exhausted Austin. His hair was soaked and he did not look pleased. It looked like he had just been woken up.

"Your father and I," Mimi started directing her conversation to her son, but glancing over at Ally, "We are going to pick up Austin's cousins."

'Great, more Austins to deal with. Or will these cousins be more like his parents, calm and sweet?' Ally thought.

"Wait, so you're going to be gone for the whole day?" Austin asked, suddenly sounding wide awake and interested.

Mimi looked over to Austin, who looked quite suspicious, "Yes, and I want you to be good. No people over.."

"Yeah, yeah mom. I've heard this speech a hundred times and I think I know it word by word now. We will be fine," Austin interrupted her, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, good, we will be going now," Mimi said. Mike and her then gave their goodbyes, and walked out the door, leaving the two teens alone in an empty cabin.

Austin quickly pulled out his phone, and called someone up, "Hey man! Party at my house at 10. Can you help me spread the word?"

Ally crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. She shot an expectant look at Austin after he hung up, "Mimi said not to invite anyone over."

"Ms goodie two shoes can't break a few rules?" Austin teased, returning the glare.

"How do you expect to get away with this?" Ally rolled her eyes and ignored the previous comment. She could just hear her mother's criticizing voice in the back of her head, 'you're eyes are gonna get stuck if you keep doing that.'

"This isn't my first time throwing a party," he stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and it practically was. He was one of the most popular guys in Marino High, and there is no way he could have gotten that popular without throwing a few parties and breaking a few rules.

Ally stayed silent, knowing there was no way she could convince him to actually listen for once in his life.

The lack of words coming from the brunet made Austin smirk, "You've never been to a party, have you?" He waited a second for an answer but the room stayed silent. "Bet you wouldn't even be able to go to this one."

Again, she didn't answer, only making Austin laugh at her some more, pulling back out his phone to invite more of his classmates over. As his footsteps trailed out of the room, Ally could hear his voice for a few seconds. "Hey babe, I'm having a par-" the door shut, blocking out the rest of his words.

Ally sighed and headed off to her room. Pulling out a drawer to one of the light tan dressers, she glanced around for a certain black hoodie she owned. It was buried beneath a deferent one. Upon finding the article of clothing, she quickly unwrapped it and removed the object hidden inside.

It was a thin and very worn book. The cover was made out of brown leather and there was an A on the front. It is Ally's song book/diary.

There were so many secrets held within this tiny book that Ally kept it from the view of anyone.

She laid down on her stomach, propping her head on her hand and began flipping through the book to find a blank page.

Hours of writing, listening to music, and lesser things that were not worth mentioning, 9 o'clock finally hit. Ally was a nervous wreck. For the past hour she has been going over what she should do.

One option would be to just stay in her room. But that would give Austin more ammo against her. She couldn't even go to a party that is being hosted at the place she is currently living in.

The other option is to actually go. That way Austin would not make fun of her for being a wimp. But he could be angered, because she, the school loser, went.

Either option seemed to result in a very angered Austin, which would not be good in anyway.

Ally's entire body began to shake, her heart beat becoming faster. This would be the first ever party she has been to, and the only thing she pictures is like in the movie.

Dark lights, loud music, every girl dressed slutty, and DO NOT drink the punch. Then the cops come and everyone runs away.

She can't decide whether she should skip the party, party's are overrated. Or whether she should take the opportunity, it's senior year after all!

Either way, she thought it'd be best if she got changed, she was still in her pjs. She jumped up and grabbed a pair of shorts, not necessarily modest but no where near as showy as some of the girls her age wear. They stopped just above where her fingertips laid. She slipped on a thin white sweater on top of her tank top.

The cabin was well heated, but she wouldn't be able to go outside in an outfit like this. She pulled on some black converse, and retouched on the makeup she already had on.

After that, she sat back down on her bed, and grabbed the book she had been reading, Divergent. She read the lines, but could not process words. She was too focused on the party, that just so happened to be 5 minutes away.

That's it, she's going to go to this party. She's going to prove to Austin she is not just a goody goody.

She laid down on her bed, waiting for the five minutes to pass. She must have dozed of, and the next thing she knew, she woke up to catchy music blasting at a sound that could deafen.

The party must have started. She grabbed out her phone and switched on the front side camera. Her hair wasn't as messy as she thought, and she quickly fixed it by running her hands through her hair.

After that, she finally went to a high school party. She stepped down the stairs slowly, afraid the sound of her feet would draw attention to her, though even if she was loudly stomping, it would not be heard over the radio.

The lights were dimmed and there were people everywhere. Girls were wearing shirts that barely covered them, and skirts/shorts that looked like underwear. They usually looked inappropriate, but somehow this was worse.

People slow dancing, making out in the corner, and wobbling around. There were even a couple people passed out on the couch. They were cheering, and off to one side of the room some people were playing drinking games.

Ally weaves herself through the several groups of people, attempting to find a clearing to the kitchen. She was a few steps away, until a certain popular blonde blocked her way. She was face to face with Cassidy now.

Cassidy's posy then surround her. The tall girl on the right has perfectly wavy brown hair, Kira Starr. She is an upcoming singer and is probably the most likely to end up an actress in the senior class.

The girl on the right was a short Latina with curly raven hair, Trish. She was a fiery soul who never hesitated to speak her mind.

All of the three were wearing slutty outfits, as usual, that barely covered anything. "Dorkson is here?" Kira snickered, earning a glare from Cassidy, who tried to always be the first person to speak in there group.

"So, Austin told me you're staying here for the month," Cassidy spoke, taking a few steps closer to Ally, "you better not try anything. Though even if you did I doubt Austin would accept you. You're just a worthless waste of space!"

Ally shoved her way past the now laughing group of populars and walked into the room. Before she had even took a step downstairs, she swore to herself that she would not drink anything sitting out, but one drink wouldn't kill her, right?

She poured some of the punch into a red solo cup, and slowly lifted it to her mouth. Swallowing down the red liquid, she began to cough. It tasted like cough syrup, and Ally wondered how anyone could like such a nasty substance like alcohol.

Contradictory to her better judgement, she raised the glass again and took another large gulp. She wasn't in the mood to think right now. She chugged the drink down like she had been dehydrated for days, and quickly tossed the cup.

The edge she had was taken off, and she now had no worry in the world. She didn't care if the whole freaking school taunted her, she was there to complete a mission, to prove a point to Austin Moon.

She slipped out of kitchen and into the large mass of wannabe teens drinking, laughing, and dancing all around. After Ally stepped out the door, she caught someone's eye.

A tall guy with messy brown hair walked her way, Dallas, Ally's freshmen crush. He, like Austin, was a jock. "Hey pretty lady," his words slurred, and Ally instantly knew he was drunk.

"Hey Dallas," she mumbled stepping backwards, instantly losing her confidence and remembering why she hadn't ever gone to a party before.

There were no more words said before their lips collided. Ally did not kiss back, however, and struggled away from the kiss. He smirked, "feisty, I like it." and harshly gripped the girls wrist so she wouldn't get away.

He began to lean in again, and Ally squeezed her eyes shut, tears stinging her eyes. He was drunk; he wasn't going to stop. But she never was met. She opened her eyes, but everything was a blur. Somehow Dallas, with a bloody nose, ended up passed out on the floor, with Austin hovering over him.

Everything started to go fuzzy, and Ally felt her knees go week. The tears in her eyes making the room even blurrier. "Dez," Austin called to the lanky red head standing nearby, "clear it out."

She then felt him slide his arms underneath her and pick her up, carrying her away from the drama, and up to the safety of her room.

But the door was locked, and someone else was in there. He mumbled a couple cuss words under his breath, thinking over where she would sleep. The two other rooms were reserved to his cousins, and he didn't want them to notice something happened.

The only resort was his bedroom, and he slowly twisted the doorknob, pushing it open. He laid the brunet down, who began silently crying. "Shh. It's okay now," Austin soothed, rubbing her back.

"Why are you being so nice?" Ally looked up from her hands and over her shoulder.

He shrugged, "No one deserves Dallas' stupid actions."

They then returned to their silence. The only sounds within that room was the occasional sniffle. After a little while, her crying had stopped. They were both laying down beside each other now, staring into each other's eyes. "Can I ask you something?" Ally silently spoke.

"Shoot."

"Why do you hate me?" Ally said, tears threatening to come once more.

"I don't hate you. I just started bullying you because my friends were, and I wanted to look cool. I was too quick to judge and I had to knock a few people down to stay at the top. It's just became a habit now."

Tears poured from the girls eyes once more, and Austin wrapped his arms protectively around her, "But that was in the past. I think you're actually pretty cool now."

* * *

 **I do not own Austin and Ally.**

 **Sorry I've skipped a couple of days. My internet was down. So, I will be posting 2 chapters a day for the next 2 days to catch up. Also, if you hadn't noticed, I added on to the last chapter. Thank you for your lovely reviews, they truly make my day brighter. I love reading what you have to say.**


	4. Chapter 4: December 4

**_Please read A/N at end up chapter for update and more about the last chapter._**

* * *

The light was so bright it was blinding. The lack of music was unnerving but greatly appreciated at the same time. Ally groaned and rubbed her fists in her eyes. She had a pounding headache and it felt like something was shooting through her head.

She opened her eyes, after a few moments, glancing around to take in her surroundings. She was in a room not familiar to her. The walls were tan, and leant up against the furthest wall were several guitars.

She tried to sit up, but a strong pair of arms held her down. Biting down on her lip to prevent from screaming out, she tried her hardest to remember the events of the previous night, but it was choppy and blanked out in spaces.

She remembers being taunted, chugging down some of the punch, and Dallas trying to use her. Images were flashing through her mind, but there were pieces of the puzzle missing. Tears stinging her eyes, she slide through the muscular arms of the mystery man, and tried to balance on her feet.

Taking a deep breath and preparing herself for the worst, she turned around and stared at the one person she did not expect, Austin.

Pictures of Austin hovering over a defenseless Dallas, sitting down next to her as she broke down, and laying beside her as they talked were brought to mind. She hadn't remembered going to sleep, and they were both drunk.

But she caught her breath when she glanced down and noticed she was still fully clothed. But her headache hadn't gone away, and all she wanted more than anything was to crawl in her own bed and just disappear for the next few days. Which is why she made a mental note to never drink obsessively again.

She walked across the hall and into the nearby bathroom, taking in her appearance. Mascara had run down her face, but was now dry. There were smudges of black all over her face. Her eyes were a bright red and stung like crazy. She had left in her contacts, and it felt like a dagger to the eye.

She wiped off the make up, and carefully took out her contacts. Never before had she worn her glasses in front of anyone who went to school, she feared that it'd only make her look more like a nerd, but there was no other option now. Her eyes hurt too much to wear her contacts any longer.

She slipped on her plastic black rimmed glasses, and slowly made her way down stairs to retrieve some coffee. She desperately craved the warm caffeine filled liquid, hoping it would make her feel even the slightest bit better.

But as she stood midway down the steps, the door squeaked open, and her eyes widened with fear. She instantly starting panicking wondering if it was as obvious as it felt to tell she was hungover.

"Austin, Ally, we're home!" Mimi's peppy voice echoed through the house at a deafening volume. Ally's hands quickly smacked her ears, as they started to ring in pain. She stumbled backwards and fell on her butt with a groan.

Ally chewed on her bottom lip, nervously raising herself up. Her heart best was going a mile an hour. She was going to be caught. Word was going to make its way to the unsuspecting mother, whether that be by Mimi simply calling her to or Ally's great grandmother raising from the dead and haunting her until she personally admitted to the crime.

Her mom was going to her about Ally getting drunk and then wonder what else she has been so secretly hiding. Then she would be sent to rehab, forced to get a GED, and would never be so much as glanced at by colleges. Her future and entire life was ruined all because of the poor judgment of one sad little girl looking for a way to be accepted. This was it, the time to let fate decide the future of one very regretful and possibly a little paranoid teen.

Her feet slowly carried her into the other room, which was fairly crowded, making images of last night flash through her mind once more. There were a total of right people standing in the room now, excluding Ally, who was still hovering by the door.

She had forgotten that she was supposed to meet Austin's cousins today and she was not in a state to make a good first impression.

"Good morning," her voice cracked and she scrunched up her nose when she had realized her mistake, it was already 3:00 pm.

"Good, you're down here. Now you can meet everyone," the usual cheery Mimi smiled, but her voice seemed to be much louder than normal. Ally weakly smiled in return, the joyous spirit suddenly becoming very annoying.

Throughout the 18 years Ally has existed, she has always begged for a younger sibling. She didn't care whether it be a brother or a sister. The gender did not matter; all that she craved for were those loud days when the parents have to shout up to their kids, yelling at them to be quiet.

Those loud days did come, but not in the way Ally envisioned them. The roles seemed to be reversed. Instead, the rowdiness came from the 2 so called adults in the house. They were always fighting, and Ally often had to be their moderator.

She had to grow up quicker than most kids, but that did not keep Ally from developing some childish dreams, which coincidently enough, just came crashing down.

Anyway, this was not the time she wanted to experience the things a big family had. The loud chatting would have normally been smiled at, and Ally would have wanted to join in. Now she just wanted place duct tape on everyone's mouths.

"Everyone," Mimi clapped to gather everyone's attention, "this is Ally Dawson, my friend's daughter, and the girl who will be staying with us while we are here."

The oldest of the group spoke up first, "Well, I'm Riker." He had fairly long blonde hair that ended at about his chin. His hazel eyes were framed by black rimmed glasses similar to the pair Ally was wearing. The only difference was that he could actually pull them off.

"I'm Rydel," the only girl in the group spoke. Her long blonde hair fell perfectly in waves past her shoulders. She looked like she had about the same attitude as Mimi, bubbly and loving.

"Rocky," spoke the guy in the back. He had brown hair which reached the top of his shoulders. He was carrying a large black guitar case.

"I'm Ryland," another of the guys spoke. His blonde hair, unlike most of the other guys, was pretty short. He subtly winked at Ally, who would have laughed had she not been feeling like she was slowly dying due to the headache.

"And I'm Ross," the last of the blondes spoke. He, like Austin, had messy blonde hair, but his was just a bit longer.

And last, but not least. Well probably, Ally didn't know enough to say. The final person spoke up, "I'm Ellington Ratliff, but people usually just call me Ratliff." He had short brown hair.

She wasn't even sure if she would be able to remember all of the names, or even connect them to faces. Her mind was scattered, and she just wanted to hide. She swallowed, "nice to meet you?" It sounded like a question, but no one really noticed. Or, no one chose to speak of it.

"Ally, you'll be sharing a room with Rydel, if you don't mind." Ally nodded in agreement saying something along the lines of that being fine by her, before making her way to the kitchen. She was still trying her hardest to act as if she was perfectly fine.

Somehow, between the time of when Ally blacked out and now, all of the plastic red cups had disappeared. The smell of teenage desperation and alcohol no longer swarmed the place. Austin was great at hiding his rebellious ways.

She clumsily prepared a pot of coffee, and as it was brewing she leaned against the countertop, and held her head in her hands. Footsteps starting to become audible from behind the brunet, and she quickly scrambled to a casual position and the girl beside her held back a chuckle.

Rydel was it? Ally wasn't completely sure. The blonde reached up in a cabinet pulling down something. She grabbed a cup and filled it with water. "First hangover?" Rydel asked curiously, glancing at the younger girl.

Ally's eyes filled with fear as she looked at the blonde. "You forgot to turn the coffee machine on. Also, you smell like alcohol and you keep wincing when the sound gets a little loud." The brunet glanced down at her clothes, quickly realizing she had yet to change from last night. "Don't worry though, the boys don't know, they don't notice half the things standing in front of their faces, and neither do Mike and Mimi, they are too busy worrying about getting us settled in."

Ally let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding in relief, and the blonde spoke again, "hold out your hand." Though she had no idea what was actually happening, she held out her hand anyway, curiosity getting the best of her. Rydel tipped the bottle over, letting two cold pills to roll in Ally's palm. "For the headache," Rydel explained, passing the glass of water.

"Thanks," Ally mumbled, before gulping down the pills.

"It's no biggie. Just go get some rest and we can talk more later." Rydel smiled, and allowed the brunet to slide on by. Ally retreated to her room, and was instantly grateful for the lack of noise.

Voices were audible. Several different voices too, not just the three that Ally some how had become used to over the past couple of days.

She pulled the covers slowly off her body, and could finally focus. She did, indeed, smell like alcohol. She quickly slipped on some yoga pants and a loose fitting hoodie and tossed the stinking clothes in her suitcase, which had just become a dirty clothes hamper.

She must have been asleep for longer than she expected to, because it seemed to look like Rydel was already situated. The place that was once empty, was now occupied by a new twin size bed.

The decently sized closet now looked like it was going to explode and have clothing shoot out everywhere.

Ally slipped her phone out of her pocket and pulled it in front of her face. She clicked the button and was about to swipe up to look through the front camera, but before she could the time caught her eye.

It was already 7:30pm; Ally had somehow slept the day away. She then took in her appearance. She didn't look too bad, so she decided to go downstairs and see what everyone else was doing.

She brushed her hair back and pulled it up in a tight high ponytail. After that, she slide out of the room and slowly walked downstairs.

The group were joking around and teasing each other. Ross was standing in front of the tv messing with something and the rest of them were sitting around the couch. It was really a wonderful sight, a actual family.

"Hey Ally, wanna watch a movie with us?" Rydel called out as she caught sight of the girl.

Ally noticed Austin scoff and roll his eyes, but she wasn't going to let him pick and choose what she does. She agreed, sitting down in the only seat open, between Rydel and Austin.

Austin attempted to slide over, annoyed by the small proximity between the two, but he failed as there were already 4 people squished on the couch and there was no breathing room.

The movie started up, and Ross sat down in front of Ally and Austin. The scenes started playing on the screen; it was Romeo and Juliet, which apparently was Ross' favorite.

Austin leant down and whispered something in Ross' ear, resulting in a laugh. Somehow, over the years, Ally had learned to notice when someone was speaking about her. It was a feeling, like a mixture of guilt (because she feels like she has done something wrong) and self hatred (because she feels like she is the thing wrong)

And she felt that in this moment, making herself slouch down and space off. She was staring at the screen, but she wasn't taking in any of the events. She was lost in her own little world of endless questions and thoughts.

"Don't feel bad because of Austin," Rydel whispered softly, making Ally jump and lose her train of thought, "it's him not you."

* * *

 **Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. School has been super crazy lately and exams are coming up. So, I'm going to stop promising a chapter a day. I will still try to post everyday, but I'm not sure if I can. One thing that I will promise, there will definitely be 25 chapters by Christmas.**

 **Also, thank you for the amazing reviews! Just in case the chapter did not clear this up, Austin has not had a change of heart and Ally has not forgiven him. Sorry if that disappoints, but I'm trying not to rush this. Remember, it has to last 25 chapters.**

 **I'm in need of some more filler chapters. I have all of the main ideas set up, but I need some things to happen in between them. So, if you have any ideas you think could fit in this story, just put it in your reviews. I probably won't be able to use everyone's ideas, but I will try to fit in as many as I can.**

 **Thanks for reading :)**


	5. Sorry for the absence :(

**PLEASE READ THIS! IT IS** **IMPORTANT!**

 **This is not a new chapter, but I would just like to say a few things. First, I am EXTREMELY sorry I never posted the rest of this story. And now it's already 2016.**

 **I always type these chaps up on my phone. I got a new one. Anyway.. I forgot my pass and couldn't update, and for that I am sorry. I still have plans for this story.**

 **BUT I was wondering if you guys even wanted me to finish since it is past Christmas or what? PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU WANT ME TO CONTINUE IN THE REVIEWS!**

 **If not, I'll just repost it next year.. Or not.. Idk..**

 **It's like 3:00am when I'm typing this so sorry if there are any mistakes..**

 **BUT YEAH PLEASE! Post whether or not I shall continue in the reviews. It's up to you guys!**

 **Happy New Years and merry late Christmas! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and I wish that 2016 will be great for you guys :)**

 **3 -wordsempowerus**


	6. Paused until December?

**I just want to give a heads up.** ** _This is not a new chapter._** **I feel absolutely terrible for leaving you guys without any sort of notice. So I'm basically posting this as an update.**

 ** _The new chapter of 25 Days of Christmas_** ** _will be posted this December._** ** _Unless you guys just want me to go ahead and post them?_**

 **It doesn't really matter to me when this is posted. The reason I'm waiting is I think it might be strange to post a story about Christmas and wintery things in the middle of spring soon to be summer. But if that does not bother you I will go on with writing.**

 **I'm sorry I have not been able to post recently. I was trying to focus on school and the such. Writing just got to be too much for me while I was trying to do school work. Now that it is summer break I am going to start writing again and hopefully get back to a schedule. I will be posting new stories and updating my previous ones (besides this one because they do not really rely on certain seasons)**

 **Also, this little note might seem all over the place, but I literally just remembered this and I figured I wouldn't make you guys wait any longer.**

 **I love reading all of your reviews. This has been my most popular story yet. I honestly thought everyone was going to think it was super cliche and what not but turns out you guys like this. It has even become one of my favorite stories to write. So I will definitely be finishing it and there is no doubt in that. As of right now it won't be posted until December of this year but if you guys think otherwise I can change that and just update it now. Please review and tell me if you guys want me to wait or if you'd read it now. It's completely up to you guys now.**

 **Review and let me know your opinions and when you think I should post it :)**


	7. Chapter 5: December 5

**Hey guys. So I'm back and I will be finishing this this year. Sorry for the long wait. Anyway, I'm not going to make a super long A/N, so here's the new chapter.**

* * *

 _December 5_

Click. The unmistakable sound of a camera snapping a picture and a brightness lighted up the dim lighting surrounding the agitated teen. She never would consider herself to be a morning person.

Ally pressed her fist into her eye, rubbing harshly and letting out a yawn. Her eyes finally opened, focusing on the environment around her. Some time in the night she must have fallen asleep on the shoulder of the one person she despised. Austin Moon. The realization resulted in her sitting up rather quickly, startled. She really didn't feel like dealing with that situation had he been the one to wake up first.

The environment surrounding them wasn't too much different. Rydel had fallen asleep on Ratliff. They seemed to be cuddling, and if Ally hadn't known any better she would assume they had been dating. Ross' head was laid back in the open space on the couch between Ally and Austin's legs. Riker and rocky were in positions mocking that of Ross.

They were all still in their same sitting arrangements; now just tangled up. They must have watched at least 2 more movies after 'For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.'

Ally wondered who was the one to stay up the longest, determined on finishing the final movie, and who had given up first, weak and craving for sleep. She didn't even quite remember where she would have placed in that list.

Standing before the sleepy group was Mike and Mimi, smiling about how this reminded them of old times. That is, old times plus Ally.

Apparently Mimi was big into the whole scrap booking thing. According to Rydel, she has one for every cabin trip, to this day.

One by one, they all had returned to their previous positions, trying to keep to their own bubble. Someone, though Ally was not sure who, let out a loud groan showing how annoyed just everyone was.

"Ughh.. Is that really necessary?" Austin rolled his eyes. Apparently his inner rudeness couldn't contain itself under the wee hours of the morning.

"Up up up!" Mimi smiled with her sing song voice and the developing Polaroid picture in hand. The smell of warm pancakes and sugar filled syrup instantly lifted the spirits of everyone; Austin springing from his seat and setting off on an instant sprint for the kitchen.

After all retrieving a stack of pancakes each, they all scattered. Although there were more chairs (taken out of the storage closet the night prior), a few people had to sit on the stools that surround the island.

"So" Mimi announced, not too soon after everyone had finish eating -or rather scarfing down in austin's case-, "as you may have guessed..."

"We're leaving for our annual camping trip tonight," Riker interrupted as he walked into the room after dropping his plate off in the sink.

"We camp out a little bit away in tents for a couple of nights while Mike and Mimi set up a few things here," Rydel explained sitting down on the couch beside Ally.

"Yep, so pack a duffle bag of some thicker clothing and make sure to stay warm. Rydel can you help Ally make sure she has everything? And grab a spare sleeping bag from the closet for her to use."

"Sure," she said, grabbing Ally's hand and leading her back to their room. Rydel opens their closet wider, which really can't close all the way because the amount of clothes shared between the two, and grabbed a dark gray duffle bag, on the side of which says 'dance' in large purple letters.

"Here, pack this with a couple sweat shirts and sweat pants, things you can layer, enough for two nights." The blonde said before leaving the room. Ally quickly folded up a couple of sweat pants and hoodies and shoved them into the bag. After which, she grabbed out a pale blue sweater and slid it on over her tank top.

She then grabbed out her phone and slipped on her headphones once more blasting the Christmas music and cuddling up underneath the covers. She could deal with the rest of it in a little bit. She had some time before they would have to leave.

* * *

4: _00 pm. 1 hour before sunset._

The group of eight, all with duffle bags slung over their shoulders, began to march out the door, after proceeding to say bye to Mimi and Mike.

Before leaving, Ally had been informed that this was a no electronics trip. Aka no blissful Christmas music for almost 48 hours. It was supposed to be a 'bounding trip' since the group did not really hang out other than on holidays. Still, Ally was not quite sure why she had to participate in this requirement. After all, she really wasn't a part of the family.

Before leaving Ally even pondered not going at all. She was going to offer to help fix things up at the cabin with Mike and Mimi, but Rydel convinced her not to. Rydel said she wanted to get to know her better. Plus, turns out they only are really going out to get a Christmas tree and the such. They usually do the decorating as a groups thing. Another bounding event most likely.

The rather large group walked off into the trees, leaves crunching underneath their feet as they dodged branches and stepped over fallen logs.

"How do you not get lost?" Ally asked Rydel as they both ducked under a branch from a tree they were passing.

"We've been going here for years now, probably 10. We used to take the long way around, following the roads and paths, but 5 years ago, when we started going without Mike and Mimi, we discovered this short cut. It took us a few hours to get through though," she let out a small giggle, "Riker kept insisting that he knew where he was going. Needless to say we were walking in circles for the majority of it. But we didn't realize that until we came back the next year. Now the path is just ingrained in our minds, I guess"

Ally smiled. She wished she had something like this. Sure she had her parents, but they were gone all the time. She never really knew what was going to happen with them either. Sure she expected the divorce, but she didnt really believe it. And she never really knew who was going to leave and go off to where. It's must be nice to have some consistency.

 **This is just part one. I didn't really want to rush it too much but I wanted to be able to get a chapter out today. Whenever I post part 2, I will just update this chapter. I will not be posting tomorrow most likely, but I will post 2 chapters on Thursday.**

 **Sorry for for the absence. I was going to post it, but I didn't really feel like it would do the story justice if it was posted in the summer. It sounds weird, but yeah. Anyway, I WILL be finishing this this year. I will try to post everyday, unless I say otherwise.**


End file.
